It hasn't taken long for the latest crop of young stars to have an influence on the competition. Mills, Oliver and Weitering are quickly becoming household names just months after they arrived at their new clubs.
But based on the AFL Players Ratings System, two young Bombers stand alone.
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Darcy Parish top the AFL's list for the highest scoring first year players.
Walla has played every match so far this season, while Parish was rested against the Swans but starred against the Kangaroos last week with 24 possessions. The Geelong Falcons product also picked up a Rising Star nomination.
Learning and development have been constant themes at Essendon this season.
“Yes we want to win, but it’s as much about the development of a young group and seeing consistency and a never give up attitude,” Chief Executive Xavier Campbell told SEN yesterday.
Add the form of Michael Hartley, Orazio Fantasia and Zach Merrett to the mix and the Bombers are well on their way to ticking off that goal.
Top Ten Ranked First Year Players
1. A. McDonald-Tipungwuti (Ess) 86.4
2. Darcy Parish (Ess) 72.6
3. Tom Papley (Syd) 70.9
4. Marcus Adams (WB) 70
5. Clayton Oliver (Melb) 65.9
6. Jacob Weitering (Carl) 60.5
7. Callum Mills (Syd) 58.1
8. Daniel Rioli (Rich) 52
9. Callum Ah Chee (GCS) 46.3
10. Josh Wagner (Melb) 44.5
What is the Official AFL Player Ratings system?
Determining the AFL's best player has always been tricky. Whether it be umpires, coaches, media or fans, judgements about top players have always contained a large slice of opinion.
Now, using the most sophisticated algorithm ever applied to our game, we are assessing every single action of every player, determining the impact of that action, and providing points – either positive or negative – toward that player's rating compared to his peers.
Along with the obvious acts such as goals, marks and disposals, we've included intercepts, spoils, kicking to a contest, smothers, chasing, corralling and many other 'one-percenters' - along with where and when they occurred - to paint a complete picture of ever player's impact on a game.
And the Official AFL Player Ratings are based on a player's past 40 games, which delivers a long-term view of a player's standing within the AFL.
We have also created positional ratings, so that fans can easily determine the best ruckman, small-medium defender, key defender, midfielder, midfielder-forward, small-medium forward and key forward in the game.
In addition, we continue to monitor results, take fan feedback and consult the top experts to ensure Official AFL Player Ratings remain the most accurate statistical view of our game.
How is each player's rating worked out?
Players accrue or lose points every time they are involved in a passage of play. The score awarded to them each time they are in the play is determined by a complex algorithm formulated and refined over a number of years by Champion Data. Players accrue or lose points depending on whether they have a positive or negative impact on a passage of play.
A player's rating is determined by aggregating his points tally based on a rolling window of the previous two seasons. For example, after round six of the 2014 season, a player's rating will be based on matches from round seven of the 2012 season onwards. However, only a player's most recent 40 matches are used in the calculation of his rating. This creates a buffer for players missing matches through injury, suspension, omission or by not being involved in finals. A player's most recent 30 matches are given greater weight in determining his rating. Matches 31 through 40 are progressively reduced in weighting, from 100 per cent down to five per cent for the earliest game in the window.
